Rehabilitative intervention during and after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: An analysis of the existing literature

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a therapeutic strategy for several oncohematological diseases. It increases survival rates but leads to a high incidence of related effects. The objective of this paper was to examine the existing literature on physical exercise interventions among pediatric HSCT recipients to explore the most often utilized rehabilitative assessment and treatment tools. Studies published from 2002 to April 1, 2015 were selected: 10 studies were included. A previous literary review has shown that rehabilitation programs have a positive impact on quality of life. Our analysis identified some significant outcome variables and shared intervention areas.

Transplant Energize Me Patient Outcome (TEMPO): A Quality Improvement Project that Maintains Functional Mobility in Pediatric Patients Admitted for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

“…To our knowledge, TEMPO is the first multidisciplinary team approach for pediatric patients undergoing HCT that provides regular therapy intervention with a strong focus on developmentally appropriate education and establishing a culture of mobility. TEMPO confirms results of prior pediatric studies emphasizing the importance and positive effect of exercise and physical activity during HCT admission [2,7,11,14]. Whereas current literature highlights the effect of single discipline exercise programs, we present the success of a multidisciplinary project that focuses on exercise, functional mobility, strength, and physical activity; incorporates regular interventions 3 to 5 times per week for 60 minutes [2]; and uses validated assessment tools (ie, FMS) to track patient progress and task-specific sustainability.…”

“…Adult literature supports exercise 2 to 3 times a week for patients during HCT [6], which is consistent with usual care for therapies at our institution before TEMPO implementation. Current pediatric studies that explore therapy intervention for pediatric patients during HCT often include aerobic and strengthening activities [2,7,32], yet no consensus on an ideal exercise prescription exists [2]. By offering moderate-intensity therapy intervention through multiple disciplines 5 days per week, we hypothesized that functional mobility, endurance, and strength would be maintained throughout admission for HCT.…”

Rehabilitation in children and adolescents undergoing stem cell transplantation: A pilot study focused on motor performance

“…The lower adherence to RCI from the EG subjects could be related to the fact that they found it easier to get involved in the supervised part of the EP programme, as reported by some reviews (Lago et al, 2020;Rossi et al, 2016) that highlight how supervised EP have more benefits than unsupervised ones.…”

Motor Performance in Children Diagnosed with Cancer: A Longitudinal Observational Study

“…The negative effects during and after treatment may include fatigue, obesity, reduced cardiopulmonary capacity, decreased musculoskeletal health and motor performance, and decreased health-related quality of life [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. All of these may be influenced by physical activity during and after treatment [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”